I. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to fill valves for controlling the water level in a toilet tank and, in particular, to a housing for the fill valve which reduces the water flow noise when the valve is open to fill the toilet tank.
II. Description of the Prior Art
Modern toilets continue to use the flow of water from a reservoir tank to flush waste into the sewage system of the dwelling. In the typical gravity flow toilet, water stored in the reservoir tank is released into the toilet bowl upon tripping the flush lever. The reduced water level drops the float thereby activating the fill valve. Once the water level reaches a predetermined level, the fill valve is shut off as the float reaches the intended position.
As with any valve, the flow of water from an outlet creates a certain level of noise. Attempts have been made to reduce the level of water noise created by the fill valve both by adding insulative structure and adjusting the configuration of the valve to more gently deliver the water to the interior of the tank. For the most part, these adjustments have proven unsuccessful or limited by the structure of the fill valve. Since the cascade of water into the tank created considerable noise, prior known fill assemblies moved the fill valve lower into the tank. However, the concern that a backflow may be created under certain circumstances resulted in the regulations requiring that the valve be above the water line within the tank. Thus, a valve structure which reduces the flow noise without adding considerable structure and therefore cost to the fill assembly is desirable.
The present invention overcomes the disadvantages of the prior known toilet tank fill valve housings by providing structure to reduce the noise associated with the flow of water from the fill valve.
The fill valve assembly of the present invention includes a fill tube connected to the water supply and extending upwardly from the floor of the tube. Formed at the upper end of the fill tube is a valve housing having a fill valve disposed therein. The fill valve is preferably seated at an outlet of the fill tube to control the flow of water from the fill tube through the valve housing into the toilet tank. Operation of the fill valve is controlled through the float arm which is mounted to the housing and attached to the float. As the float arm pivots downwardly along with the float in response to a drop in water level, the fill valve will be opened to permit the flow of water into the tank. Once the water within the tank has reached a predetermined level, the float arm will operate to close the fill valve.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the valve housing includes a lower housing portion connected to or integrally formed with the fill tube and an upper housing portion detachably mounted to the lower housing portion. Noise reduction structure is formed within the interior of the valve housing to quiet the flow of water exiting the fill tube. The noise reduction structure of the present invention comprises a cylindrical ring coaxial with the fill valve which forms an annular slot through which the water flows. The annular slot creates a laminar flow discharging from the fill valve which has a less turbulent splash thereby reducing the flow noise. The annular slot may be formed combining structure from both the lower housing and upper housing portions or through one portion alone.